Welcome
reader, you finally found your way to MATURE MINDS TALK discussion site. What took you so long. Huh?... How are you?
Yeah you’re fine, as I can read and that’s why I’ll get straight to the point. You
don’t want to argue that our day to day lives is the combination of a lot of
things. From praying in the morning (RELIGION), our dental awareness (HEALTH), dressing
up for work (STYLE & FASHION), our work (CAREER CHOICE), how we relate with
others (HUMAN RELATION) our singleness or spouses (RELATIONSHIP), what we eat
(DIET & NUTRITION), our interaction with our mobile phones and other
gadgets around us (TECHNOLOGY), what we do after each day of work, SPORTS
(guy’s weekends), TRAVEL, NATURE, HUMOUR, EDUCATION, NEWS, CHEEK TALK (for ladies.
Lolz!), you can keep naming it…

Welcome to December guys; My quick advice for us all is to
ensure we make it our month of Thanksgiving.

For all you have achieved so far this year, give thanks. For
all you are yet to achieve, give thanks in anticipation. I’m not preaching but if
there’s one strategy I’ve put to good use in my journey this year, it’s the art
and act of appreciation. I learnt from my mentor that “Appreciation always
causes an appreciation” I have a habit of confusing you; don’t I?

It simply means whatever you appreciate (give thanks for) either in your life, in the life of others
or in anticipation, appreciates (keeps increasing in value) in your own life. Giving thanks in faith, makes
you happier and makes the way to getting your desired results clearer.

If you don’t believe me, try it.

With that said, since it’s the month of Thanksgiving, I just
want to use this medium to say a mighty big “Thank You” to everyone who stayed
with me through the month of November for my 30 Days Writing Challenge. You
guys are the real MVP’s. Many of you didn’t know that I was typing “My Surprise Lagos
Wedding” when my system developed a sudden fault. For days after, I was
posting from my phone.

Even at that, different people and random peeps would slide
into my inbox and tell me they’re following me. Thanks for letting me know you’re
fully behind me, and that I shouldn’t judge based on comments (biko try and be
dropping comments too once in a while. Lol!). I really appreciate the love and
support and I do not take it for granted.

Thank you, thank you and thank you.

(I've got something interesting coming up guys; just as a show of appreciation; so you might want to watch out for my next post).

As we round up the year, may we have causes to give thanks,
more than we’ve ever done since the beginning of the year. May every missed
opportunity since January revisit us, even as we grab them and
utilize them to the max. As we fill our hearts with gratitude, there will not be
any carryover of blessings and achievements.

I’m not leaving you in
a state of confusion; am I? Okay, stay with me to the end of this article and I’ll
explain what I mean.

I remember what
happened sometime ago, after finally getting through to a fellow ghost-writer. While
we were doing the introductions, this lady also had me in a state of confusion (just
like I have you. Lol!), and what was supposed to be a quick intro turned into a
session. Be intentional about your conversations. They can reorient your views.

“You’re also a ghost-writer;
right?” I asked this lady.

“Nope!... I am the certified
ghost-writer” She replied.

Your guess is as good
as mine. The response shifted my eyebrows. Natural reaction was about making me
feel somehow about her response, but I didn’t let my emotions get the better of
me. After our conversation, I came to the conclusion that I was going to
make every necessary effort to get my status from “A” to “The” in whatever I do.

Try introducing what you do with an “A”, then repeat the process and replace it
with “The”.

“A” somehow sets a
limit to what it is the other party needs to know about you, while “The” opens up
space for a further inquisition into your persona and what you stand for. “He’s
a man” is a statement that is most likely to get an “Ok”. But “He’s the man” is
most likely to get a question “He’s the man that (did) what?” Notice the
difference?

A couple of days ago, I
was conversing with my kid bro who’s currently serving his country in the
north. He was telling me how some random peeps were asking him if he was
related to Elijah “The Writer guy” because of his surname. I smiled ‘cos it
made me remember how I was asking someone if she was related to Chinua Achebe because
of her surname.

Be good and be good at
it.

Meaning, be good at
what you do, and let the world create a mental attachment of that thing to you.
Zaha Hadid was not “an” Architect; she was “the” Architect. Wait! Do you know
that I’m also an architect? (Not yet “the” architect. I’m coming. Lol!). Floyd
Mayweather is not “a” boxer; he is “the” boxer. Lionel Messi is not “a”
footballer; he is “the” footballer. Jack Ma is not “an” entrepreneur; he is “the”
entrepreneur.

You are not “a” (insert
what you do). You are “the” (insert what you do), who takes the best approach, produces
the best possible result, and gives your client the utmost feeling of
satisfaction. Did you notice the difference in the length of the two sentences?
Now, understand that it takes intentional investments to go from “A” to “The” but
if anyone tells you it’s not achievable, you have my permission to get them arrested.

“If a man is called to
be a street sweeper,

he should sweep the
streets even as

Michael Angelo painted,
or Beethoven

composed music, or
Shakespeare wrote

poetry. He should sweep
the streets so

well that all the hosts
of heaven and

earth will pause to
say, here lived a

great street sweeper
who did his job well.”

- Martin Luther King Jr.

So my friend, I am not
“a” writer; you see? I am “the” certified ghost writer who sometimes, when
searching for things on Google, stumbles on search results of articles he wrote
himself. I am “the” writer behind some books you’ve read and applauded the
authors. I am arguably “the” most spontaneous writer you know.

The things I’ve been reading
on the news recently makes me so sad for Africa. When did it come to this? How
long has this rot been spreading under our skin? When did we lose every sense
of honour, prestige and respect for one another as fellow Africans? How did we come this low? How can I wrap my brain around all I’ve seen recently?

I thought you were my
brother. I thought you were supposed to have my back. My country's leaders have
failed me; the system has failed me; everything has left me broken and all I
have is a tiny flicker of hope... Well, rather the promise of a better
life across the shores. It’s not going to be easy but if only you can make
it to the land of dreams; they said.

You were supposed to
have my back brother; I never knew it was too much to ask to create a passage
for me to pass. I never knew the real danger on the road to the “promise land” was
amongst my own brothers; the same sons
of Mama Africa. All I wanted was to make it past the shores. I would’ve braced
myself more for this if I was taken back to when it was a war of race and
colour.

So flipping what? So
flipping what if I land on your soil illegally?! So flipping what if I rest for
a while before returning to my search for hope?!

This is your soil
right? Well, point of correction – This is our soil, our land, our continent. This is AFRICA! People
in the western world sometimes refer to Africa a country damn it! Our forefathers,
our heroes, didn’t dies for this sh!t. They shed sweat and blood to put an end
to anything called “Slavery”. They gave up their life, their future, their joy to ensure we live free. Yet this is how you repay them?!

My brother, you look at
me very well and you trade me for a couple of notes? You auction me like I'm some
piece of drawing, a property, or a commodity? You belittle me just because I’m
passing through your yard on my search for the better life I was promised. You
trample on my self-esteem, and display to the world how backwards we are, as a
continent.

Oh Mama Africa!

You starve me, jail me,
scourge me, and even kill me?! Just to sell me into slavery?... Just so you
know – What's most confusing to me about this whole thing is that this retarded
act of extreme bestiality is perpetuated by my own fellow African. This amount
of pain is being inflicted on me by my own kinsmen. My God! The pain, the
disappointment, the grief, the agony.

Damn!

This sh!t's gotta stop!
This is 2017 Damn it! The world has moved past this. Why do we have to dig up buried
graves? To what end? If we know how long and how much it cost to break free decades ago, then why would I be stuck in Libya and the course of my life be
altered forever by my fellow African. Aren’t we in this sh!t together?

I can feel it in my mouth. I accidentally bit my tongue this morning
again, and that’s a sign. Err… Well, I know I may have slightly been over-fantasizing
about acquiring a property in "The Glory Island" but I know I have to be patient.
You know what the Nigerian “Glory Island” is, right? You don’t? Of course you
do – Banana Island.

This is the dream of every Nigerian Real Estate Investor – Stamping a
mark on Banana Island, Lagos.

Class is in session. Sit down, and take an informed look with me into the
Glory Island. Well, Banana Island was the brain child of the late Chief Adebayo
Adeleke. A London trained Civil Engineer and CEO of City Property Development
Ltd.

Banana Island is an area of Ikoyi, Lagos, Nigeria, 8.6 kilometres east
of Tafawa Balewa Square. Part of the Lagos State Local Government Area of
Eti-Osa in Central Lagos. It’s a man-made island and the name originated from
its shape – it’s curved like a Banana. It
is known for its wealthy, multi-cultural community and some of the most
expensive Real Estate allocations in Nigeria, and even West Africa. In Banana
Island, a three bedroom apartment typically sells for at least $555,000(₦200Million)
and $2.81Million(₦1.09Billion) for a 5 bedroom fully serviced house. Rental
properties are very popular in this location and rent for a 3 bedroom apartment
is typically around $63,000(₦22Million) per annum.

‘The Glory Island’ hosts several high end residential developments such
as the Ocean parade towers (a series of 14 luxury tower blocks strategically
placed at one end of the island, where the 180 degree panoramic view of the
island can be taken advantage of). Some of Nigeria’s International corporate
bodies such as Airtel Nigeria, Ford Foundation Nigeria, 9Mobile Nigeria and
many others are also not left out of booking their space. Banana Island
according to Forbes, is the most expensive neighbourhood in Nigeria and little
was that said, before buyers started scrambling for properties put out for sale
at the time.

Implication is, you don’t wake up in the morning to the usual sights you
might be used to. How would you, when you have neighbours like Aliko Dangote,
Mike Adenuga (Billionare CEO Globacom Telecommunications Ltd), Kola Abiola
(Publisher and Businessman son of the popular MKO Abiola, Saayu Dantata (Son of
the Alhassan Dantata – the wealthiest man in West Africa in the ‘50s).

Real Estate Investors continue to act and react to whatever news radiate
from The Glory Island, and would hope the rumoured property price decline would
actualize to allow the usual “down and hit” strategy, which is very common in
the Real Estate business. It would be a jackpot play if there ever was any
significant fall in the price of properties as that would definitely be the
news of a lifetime to the many Banana Island’s lurking prospective investors.

Meanwhile, little or nothing needs to be said about the lifestyle of
habitants of The Glory Island. What do you expect, living next to or in-between
two billionaires?

While Chief Adeleke’s aim of “making Nigeria proud” has not been totally
met (Judging from his initial plan), we can justifiably say that ‘The Glory
Island’ hasn’t fallen overly far short off the path as it’s on a daily basis
tending more and more towards becoming a global spectacle for both local and
foreign Real Estate Investors. Even…

I remember reading an insightful Facebook post by a
blogger who talked about intentionally choosing the pressure you respond
to, and the pressure you ignore; and I couldn’t agree more. If as a pre-millennial,
you think everything is in the same motion as it was back then, please wake up
and smell the coffee.

Welcome to the 21st century world we live in, where the most common
slogan is “The End Justifies The Means” the world has never moved this fast,
and no one wants to be left behind. Hence, it’s a frantic mad pursuit of the
good life. Success has been stripped of its definition and almost everyone is
dancing to a new tune – “By any means necessary”.

We now live in a society that celebrates the product and ignores the
process. “Who process epp?” The current normalcy of previous anomalies has got
some saying it’s just an indication of the end times. You know, everything is
all up in your face these days. Day in day out, you’re slapped with bogus success
show reel characterized by flashy cars, clothes, followers, money, popularity,
and so on.

Does the end really justify the means?

We live in a world where people’s self-esteems are affected by the
number of followers they have, the number of likes and comments on their social
media posts, who’s had the most body counts, who wears the most expensive wig, who
lives the most lavish lifestyle, and so on. We live in a world where rather
than getting their hands dirty; the youth would rather go through the “whatever
it takes” route. Get money, live fast and die young.

Those who are living right are beginning to feel left behind by the “Slay
Queens” on Instagram and Snap chat. Sixteen year old girls are asking one
another how many sugar daddies they have. You’re a dulling dude if you decide
to work hard and smart, rather than sit behind your laptop with a red calabash
on your head, punch a few keys, and go smiling to the bank.

A lot have forgotten that it’s a rabbit hole life – You can never know
how far it goes. In the classroom of life, we only want to see your answer. Don’t
worry about the workings. “Only God can judge me” is the new slang of
consolation, whenever what’s left of the conscience wants to ask questions. It’s
a world of statuses, filters, and a hasty attempt to catch up with those who
are actually trying to catch up with you.

Does the end really justify the means?

For those who, in the face of the disturbing metamorphosis and the continuous
perforation of values and morality, still have words like “hard/smart work”, “leadership”,
“spirituality”, productivity”, “emotional intelligence”, “personal development”,
“moral etiquettes”, “financial intelligence”, “resource investments”, and so on
in their dictionaries, trust me, you are the real MVP’s.

For those who disagree with those three American artistes’ definition of
success in that 2009 song titled “Successful”, and understand that the process
is more important than the product; For those like me, who have seen “Fly Guys”
go from millions in the account to “can I see money for bike?”, Let’s take it
upon ourselves to spread the word.

The real reward for what you do is not the result, but who you become
through the process.

Those who have gone house hunting in Nigeria would understand this
scenario – Have you ever gone house hunting, and you see things like “No Pets”,
“No Bachelor/Spinster”, “No Huasa/No Igbo/No Yoruba”? Does seeing “No certain
ethnicity” make you feel somehow? Cos you’re damn right if you guess it makes
me feel somehow.

You know, I’m sometimes like "What the heck is this?!" I can’t even get total
freedom to make certain choices in my own country again?

Now, I’ve heard cases of university admissions being given first to
undeserving natives of a region, before merited candidates from other regions
are considered. I’ve heard where the owner of a company decides to employ a less
qualified applicant from the same ethnic group, and drop a more qualified
candidate from a different ethnicity.

I’ve had the opportunity to listen to one or two well-educated older
citizens, who strongly believe that we were not supposed to be a country. I’ve
heard them discuss how we would be better off if we took the bold step as a country
and just went our separate ways. To this set of experienced intelligentsia,
Nigeria is simply too diverse to be unified.

According to them, a country that is home to two hundred and fifty different
ethnic groups, joined together by "Oga Lugard" who was probably hyped by the
uncanny intelligence of his babe – Flora Shaw, just can’t work. You know, she
probably just downed a cup of coffee, looked over the whole region, and Boom!
Eureka! – “The area shall be called Nigeria!” she exclaimed.

But have we taken a look at other countries all around the world and
realize that there are almost no country without diversity in ethnicities? Have
we taken a thorough look at other countries and seen that we are not the
country with the highest number of diverse ethnic groups who refer to one
region as Home? Do we know that breaking another country out of this present
one wouldn’t solve any problem?

See, I believe the problem we have isn’t the fact that we were forced
into coming together as one nation (probably against our will). I believe the
problem we have is simply the refusal to rise above our ethnic differences and
work together as one unit; one country. The refusal to see that house hunter,
that job seeker, that neighbour as first of all, a fellow human, then a fellow
Nigerian.

To all those vehemently preaching division, fighting tooth and nail to
break out, here is my simple logic why it’s a silly idea.

If for instance we split into our ethnic groups and we went our separate
ways, soon the “Them Mentality” which we have now would set in again. Then the Yoruba
stops seeing a fellow Yoruba and starts segregating “Ijesha” from “Ekiti”, “Egun”
from “Ijebu”. The Igbo starts segregating the “Ohuhu” from “Nsukka”, “Middle
Belt” from “Mbaise”. The Hausa start segregating the “Arewa” from “Zazzangaci”,
“Daura” from “Bausanchi”… and so on. Trust me, that’s what would happen.

So next time, when you want to support those crying for a split or those
who see their tribes as “We” and others as “Them” understand that the problem is
simply with our mentality as a country, and it’s time we stop that sh!t and see
ourselves for who we truly are – fellow humans, and fellow patriotic Nigerians.

It was my first time in
this restaurant and it was really looking as nice as you’d expect a restaurant
in Victoria Island, Lagos to look. The attendants were nice and polite, the
whole space was well decorated and arranged, and the music… Oh the music was
making me thank God I forgot my earpiece at home. Whoever was behind their
music selection definitely knows about “music and public spaces”.

I would later find out
that there was more to the music this lovely Saturday morning, than “music and
public spaces” knowledge. Lol!

I actually didn’t know
I was on set for a drama that was about to unfold. You want to know what it
was; right? I know you like gist. So, just across the restaurant were a guy and
a lady, doing justice to their dessert. My meal was served and almost at the
same time, theirs’ was too.

James Blunt’s Blue on
Blue track came on, and the guy “accidentally” dropped something. They both
made for the foot of the table to pick it up, and just in that moment, as they
bent to pick it, the guy went down on one knee… You know, he bent the knee… You
still don’t get it? He proposed! The World Spinsters Association was about to
lose a member.

In my mind, I was like
“Aww! So sweet!” oh and yea, the dropped item was a signal. Once my guy bent
the knee, their friends rushed in, surrounded the couple and started doing
their thing. You know, the cheerleaders, the clappers, the recorders, snapchatters,
and one particular lady who started shouting “Say Yes!”

I’m not even making
this up, the lady being proposed to, was shocked quite alright, but in that
moment, you could see a little bit of reluctance written on her face, as she
looked down at the guy, and looked around, still surprised at how one second,
it was just the both of them and the next second, they were the center of
attraction.

For a moment, I had my
heart in my mouth, as it looked like something was about to go wrong. The lady
just stood there, with a mixture of surprise and reluctance, but as soon as the
“Team Say Yes!” captain started chanting “Say Yes!” “Say Yes!!” every other
friend, and even some onlookers began chanting along.

A quick warning –
During my proposal, if you’re my friend and you dare chant “Say Yes!”, I
promise to get up and shove the ring down your throat. What’s the meaning of
that? Why won’t you allow my lady make a clear headed decision? Are you normal?
Is it your proposal? See, don’t try it with me o. We all won’t find it funny.

If you’re also in the
habit of chanting “Say Yes!” “Say Yes!!” when people are proposing, that’s how
they’ll chant you or your spouse into saying “Yes!” too, even if “No!” would’ve
saved your marriage. Stop that nonsense. You hear me? Is it your "Yes?" Record, clap, just do
your thing, but most importantly, allow the lady make a sound, well thought out
decision.

That moment is very
very crucial. So before you join the “Team Say Yes!”, ask yourself if you’ll
like people shouting “Say Yes!” at your proposal.

I remember back in 2014, during the annual Black Friday shopping ceremony (yes, it's a ceremonious event like Sallah and Christmas... Hold on, I'll come back to that), one of the top online shopping malls publicized their returns and the figure they announced was edging close to hundreds of millions of dollars. I remember getting just one item - a watch.

One particular scenario I'd like to forget though, was the crash of a long friendship. Friend A, a shopaholic had "access" to Friend B's bank card. Friend A had tried convincing Friend B of the gains and thrills of Black Friday, but she had made it clear that all she wanted was a handbag.

She got the handbag alright, but the Black Friday thrill seeker friend ensure she got more than just a handbag. She ran purchases of over N50k, after a discounted handbag purchase of N7k from Alibaba e-commerce store. It was a nasty scenario; one which would only leave you wondering why some people are just discount zombies.

"Black Friday" or "Shopping holiday" if you like, started in the United States as a post-Thanksgiving ceremony. The shopping holiday sees retail stores offer a significant discount to customers and it has for really long time, been the busiest day retail day of the year. Some customers camp outside their favourite stores, just to be among the first to be attended to.

Now, if you like conspiracy theories, stay with me. If you run a retail store, how would you orchestrate your store's black Friday sales? Would you run at a loss every November because of Black Friday or would be clever about the whole process? If you think retail stores both online and offline make no profit, or run at a loss because of Black, Yellow or White Friday, then think again.

Market research shows November as the happiest month of retailers, and their profits peak highest on the same month than any other month. Now, shouldn't all the discounts they've offered drop their profit margin? Think about "Trade Secrets". Trade secrets are an important, but invisible component of a company's intellectual property (IP).

A company's trade secret's contribution to its value, measured as its market capitalization, can be major. Call me paranoid, but I know that a lot of strategic pricing technicalities are involved in Black Friday sales, and even in coming months after the consumed Black Friday. Believe me, "Somebody's gotta pay!"

A quick Black Friday conspiracy theory.

Pay attention now; will you? I sell handmade shoes and I make 13% profit on each sale. Black Friday comes and I reduce my profit percentage to 6.5%, leaving you my customer jumping for joy. And for some items, I make a meagre 1.5 to 2% profit but they're flash sale items. The amount of customers who rush the items, mean I make more profit than I would on a normal day. Even though in coming months, I'll be putting an almost unnoticeable hike in item prices.

I don't only make my profit, I make more. The only difference? Returns are spread over a longer period of time - We're talking months here.

So don't call me a non-believer in discounts when I say Black Friday is simply customer bait. In the words of a mentor, “Keep your credit/debit cards out of sight. Don’t disrespect your budget because of seductive deals. Be steadfast. The scam will soon be over”.

Lagos! – The land of opportunities. One of the skills needed to survive
in “Lasgidi” is the opportunity recognition skill. A few weeks ago, the
conductor had joined “Lady-in-red” and I, in holy… sorry, monetary matrimony. I
had told her I was running late for work, and she had to leave the whole N1k for me. I
remember she gave me one look like “Is this one normal?”

I told her I was just kidding and asked where she was headed.

“Lekki” she replied with her sweet “beggy beggy” voice. I don’t want to
start sharing my contact extraction skills (it’s called competitive advantage)
but I collected her number. She wouldn’t tell me her name though, so of course
you already know what I saved it with. We had chatted on WhatsApp, about four
five times and had agreed to meet today at Ikeja City Mall.

The D-Day *inserts soundtrack*

It was a lovely Saturday morning. Two birds were chirping on my window,
like they were gossiping about me. I had woken up early, freshened up, but I
had to wait until the end of the environmental cleaning exercise before heading
out. Stupid something. With all the environmental, is Lagos now as clean as
London? Mtchew!

“Mans not hot!” I said, as I flipped my shades on and removed myself
from the front of the mirror. Just as I stepped out of my apartment, my phone
rang.

“Hello there” I said with a wide grin on my face.

“Hi dear. How are you?”

“I’m fine o. And you?” I continued walking towards the bus park.

“I’m ok. So I just wanted to tell you that I’m at Magodo with a friend.
When you’re at ICM, call me. I’ll start coming over.”

“Oh okay then. I want to make a quick stop at Computer Village, and I’ll
be heading to ICM from there. Okay?”

“Alright. No problem.”

“So you still won’t tell me your name?”

“Don’t worry. I’ll tell you when we see.”

I and the shirtless bus conductor, who was yelling “Ikeja! Under bridge Ikeja!”
almost accidentally did a chest bump but I quickly avoided him. Suddenly, another
bus conductor grabbed my hand, and pulled me frantically towards his bus. The
one I just avoided caught up, and pulled me by my other hand back to his bus.

“Are you mad?!” I shouted as I jerked my hand off the hijacker’s, and
climbed into the shirtless conductor’s bus. I was the last passenger, and in
forty minutes, I was at computer village. I held my properties close as I entered
Computer Village. You can’t be careless here. Earlier this year, boys moved my
friend’s phone while his earpiece was plugged in. One music track ended and bros
was waiting for the next track.

Reports have it that he’s still waiting

Paul, who was excited to see me, was just hailing me, left right and
center. I told him I had a meeting to attend, and quickly dropped my Blackberry
Z10. I added N70k and picked the iPhone 6S we’d already discussed over the
phone. “Perfect timing for my date” I smiled as the thought flashed across my
mind. Paul helped set my new phone up, and transferred my SIM and memory card.

“Bros, your money con remain five thous…”

I didn’t wait for the rest of Paul’s rambling. I zoomed out of Computer
Village and was quickly inside the bus to ICM. The guy sitting
beside me gave me a tract. I took a quick glance “Signs Of The End Times!”. If
there was ever any time I was going to read tracts, not today. I was busy
imagining and rehearsing my date with Lady-in-red.

Few minutes later, the same guy asked me how he could get to Ojodu Berger from Alausa
Secretariat. I realized he was holding a brown envelope, so I described.

“Shoprite! Shoprite!!” The bus conductor shouted.

“O wa o!” I responded and alighted (I wonder why they call the whole
mall “Shoprite” anyway). Three seconds after the bus moved, I realized.

“My change! My change!!” I shouted but the bus had gone too far. N400 was
gone just like that. “Ooh! See what over-excitement has caused now!” I
murmured, ensuring nobody saw me running after the bus.

Something felt odd...

I felt my pocket and my wallet was intact. I was just about breathing a
sigh of relief when I realized my new phone wasn’t in my pocket.

Don’t tell me she’s one
Asian woman. Of course, the name already gives that away. So, do you know who
she is? Before I give you her summarized profile (trust me, she has a very
bulky one), let me just give us a quick reminder – Never ever allow your
background put your back to the ground.

Zhou Qunfei was born in
1970 at Xiangxiang, Hunan province, china (you don’t necessarily have to
pronounce it. Lol!... Just keep reading). She was the youngest of three
children and from a very wretched family – calling her family ‘poor’ is
disrespect to the word ‘poor’. Just before she was born, her father, a former soldier,
became partially blind and challenged in an industrial accident in the ‘60s. He
was (before the accident) a skilled craftsman who ‘supported’ his family by repairing
bicycles, making bamboo chairs and baskets. Zhou lost her mother when she was
five.

As a child, she suggested
the family ventured into animal husbandry, and it became a business that helped
her family raise small profit for sustenance. She’s the only one amongst her
siblings to attend secondary school and her teachers described her as a
"hard-working and talented” student. Her father couldn’t cope financially and
she had to drop out at age 16. She had to move in with her uncle's family to
become a migrant worker in Shenzhen, (Shezen’s economic state was like what
Lagos is now).

Hardly had she settled
in Shenzhen that she began to volunteer to work from one place to another. She
was at the same time taking part time courses at Shenzhen University, so she
ensured the places she worked were in the University’s vicinity. She studied
many subjects and passed the examinations to be certified for accounting,
computer operations, customs processing, and even became licensed for driving
commercial vehicles (something like a female ‘danfo’ driver) at the age of 21.

She said her dream was
to become a huge fashion designer but she wanted to start her own firm. (Now
this is where her profile gets interesting) Zhou got a job working in a small
family company where watch parts were being made and after just three months on
the job, she decided to quit. Her reason – She didn’t like the working
conditions and every other worker’s dispensation towards work. The factory
chief read her resignation letter and was moved to promote her instead.

By the time the factory
closed down in 1993, she had already saved around $3,000. She used this as the
capital to start her own company. She was scared but her cousin encouraged her.
The company started in a three bedroom apartment, with her brother, sister, their
spouses, and two cousins as the workers. She had, and still has a hands-on
approach to getting things done. Destiny came smiling in 2001 with the advent
of mobile phones. Her company won the contract to produce phone screens and she
had to sell her personal belongings to ensure they delivered a job void of any
form of error/complain.

Zhou Qunfei is
presently the wealthiest woman in china. She’s the owner of Lens Technology -
the producer of screens for clients like Apple, Samsung, HTC, Nokia, Huawei,
and so on. Her present staff strength is 60,000 and her factories are in 13
different locations across china. Her firm produces around 1 billion pieces of
glass for smartphones, TVs, and apple watches. 90% of smartphones in the world
uses Lens Technology product (yes, including your smartphone too).

“I’ve had to sell my
house twice to pay my workers” she said in an interview.

When asked what her
secret to success is, her simple reply was: “I have a very high desire to
learn. I learn from almost everything”.

That poor girl from
Xiangxiang is presently the 17th richest woman in the world. She’s 46 and has a
net worth of $7 billion.

Asides the pain of course, headaches can be very nasty and annoying. They sometimes come unannounced and can be really frustrating, especially when you feel they’re starting to overstay their welcome. Sometimes, you can hypothetically trace the cause of a headache, and sometimes, they’re like professional assassins – Traceless (Lol!).They can affect your
productivity, your mood and even your relationships.

All over the world,
headaches aren’t taken as serious as many other health related discomforts, as
many people believe it’s solely a sign of stress. But that’s a wrong notion,
and that might be the first thing you want know about headaches. As much as
Headaches are usually the body’s response to a risk factor, it is safe to say
that not all headaches are ‘just” headaches.

So, let’s put a
magnifying glass on headaches. Shall we?

What exactly is a
headache? Simple! When your head aches *ducks from slippers*. Basically, it’s the
symptom of a sharp or throbbing pain in the head or neck.

Quickly below, are a
few cool… or uncool facts about headaches, which may allow you have a more
precise approach to tackling the situation next time around (yes, don’t be
overly spiritual. I can bet there will be a next time, if you’re not currently
experiencing it).

There are two major
kinds of headaches – Primary and Secondary headaches. While primary headaches
may cause significant discomfort or pain, they are often benign, and not
dangerous. They are caused by stress, eye muscle strain, inflammation, illness,
sleeplessness, hunger (I know you can relate), your environment, and your spouse
(I included this myself).

Secondary headaches on
the other hand are mostly caused by an underlying disease like a head injury,
growing tumours, brain bleed, vascular disorder or an infection. They are often
“red flags” to a more pressing concern that’s happening in the body, and they
may be dangerous. Good news is though – 90% of all headaches are primary
headaches.

What’s going on inside
when you’re experiencing a headache?

What do you think? Your
cells are having a concert on your head… just kidding. Your brain is the main
culprit for the pain you feel during a headache. The pain comes from a mix of
signals between the brain blood, nearby nerves, and blood vessels. Once this
happens, next thing, your head muscles flare up and send pain signals to your
brain, which in turn sends the signal to your CNS.

Types of headaches
include: Hormone headaches (happens to women during their periods, pregnancy,
and menopause, due to changing hormonal levels), Sinus headaches (most times
come with an infection like running nose, etc.), Cluster headaches (affects men
more than women, and can visit for 2 weeks to 2/3months, only to “travel” for
up to a year before coming back), then give it up for their most popular
sibling – Migraine (can last for hours or days; it depends. It accompanies illness
or can be a sign of an underlying illness. It’s most times, the nastiest of
them all).

As opposed to self-medication
which is the norm, checking in with your doctor should follow, after you suffer
a headache (don’t give me that side eye). You should follow their prescriptions
for pain relievers and other medications. The best way though, is the
preventive route, which can mostly be achieved via QLA (Quality Lifestyle
Adjustment).

Heath
Ledger’s popular statement – If you're really good at something, never do it
for free has become a mantra for quite a number of business people, and I think
there’s always a caveat to the statement, because everyone (including a
business owner) loves free things. So guys, please let’s understand that the
statement is really technical and I’ll explain what I mean.

I don’t
have any issue whatsoever with putting a FEE on what you could have done for
FREE, because it is totally correct when turning your passion to a profitable
business. Whatever makes you tick should make you rich. Meaning, whatever
you’re really good at, and passionate about, should be what puts food on your
table and money in your bank account.

With that
out of the way, always remember the importance of the free stuff, from the
stage when you’re trying to grapple unto the ladder, to when you’re sitting
pretty on top of the wall. Imagine if Mark, seeing how fast Facebook was
growing, were to put a subscription fee on Facebook. I’m sure the Facebook
experience wouldn’t be what we have now. I can assure you of that (there are
currently 2.07 billion monthly users of the platform).

One very
deep example of the gains embedded in giving out (seemingly) free stuff which
took the whole world aback, happened on February 12, 2017 when Chance the
Rapper (You can check him out on Google) went back home with three Grammy
Awards without a single sold track.

As if
winning three straight Grammy awards on the third time of asking wasn’t bizarre
enough, Chance the Rapper (very funny name though) became the first music artiste
to win a Grammy with neither an album, nor a record label representation. (No
label like Agege bread. Lol!). What then did he win a whole 3 Grammy awards
for?

He won
them for his “Mix-tape” titled: Colouring Book (Yeup! A bloody mixtape)

The
23-year old went on to become the first rapper to win a Grammy off a mixtape.
Reviews of “Colouring Book Mix-tape” showed that listeners rated it better than
many other Mixtapes, EPs and even albums, (including albums of some popular
names in hip-hop) as people genuinely appreciated the depth and effort that
went into the production by him and his group (why won’t they appreciate, when
they didn’t pay a dime for it? Lol!)

After the
release of the mix-tape in May 2016, he allowed people to stream it online for free.
Chance the Rapper went on to bag seven nominations for his mix-tape, Coloring
Book, which was directed, produced, and streamed to the web, all from his home
town; Chicago. It was the first streaming-only mix-tape to win a Grammy.

Sometimes,
people won’t know your real value until you allow them have a taste of it.
Don’t worry, if there’s real value, they won’t taste and walk away. They will
actually taste and come rushing back, screaming “Take my money!”. In 2014, a
popular American record label refused to sign Chance, saying he wasn’t a risk
they were ready to take. Now his CV is not on the same level. But how many
would he have gotten to appreciate his art if he had put a price on the mixtape?

Just
wondering…

Doing what
you do best for free strategically, (once in a while) is a major secret to
business success. Everyone with a business to handle should know this. No
wonder those with (FREE) platforms on the internet control the tides of the revenue
generated online.

Give that
valuable stuff out for free (emphasis on “valuable”) and watch how it sends
people your way, who are ready to break their wallets for it.

About

Mature Minds Talk is a discussion site that puts magnifying lenses on relevant topics, pulling different strings from our every-day lives. MMT is designed for the inquisitive and prying ones, those who know that real information is more than Breaking News.